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Mosbeim ' s Church History , how soon luAhow * w £ was the religion of Jesus Irru pted frpm its primitive simplicity And the partial acco . u . Ut pf the English Baptists leads me to indulge a better ouihion of various sects who have \ Ln deemed Heretics T Much
indeed must the religion of Jesus have been corrupted from its primitive simplicity , since other tests of Christ-Ian fellowshi p are imposed than that of acknowledging Christ to be the Messiah or the Son of God ; and surely the writer who makes the declaration
contained in the concluding sentence of the above paragraph , might have indulged more tenderness towards the reputedly heretical advocates of universal restoration . It is a curious phenomenon in the annals of theology , that those who as to theijr faith take
most pains to be right should be generally declared most wrong ; and that those who as to practice abound most in the exercise of Christian charity should be pronounced destitute of true piety . But certain it is that without free inquiry and a patient , candid investigation of opposite systems of faith—we the inhabitants of this
highly favoured island , might have been at this day " plucking misletoe with the Druid or mixing a little flour and water into the substance of the incomprehensible God I " My deceased friend , however , was not deterred by the unchristian treatment of his brethren from holding
fast what he deemed Scriptural truth . He even pushed his inquiries still further so as to renounce other popular errors and to maintain the glorious doctrines of the Divine Unity , and the unpurcliased love of the Supreme Being in the redemption of the world . " Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ , who hath Messed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ : In whom we have redemption through ™ blood , the forgiveness of sins , according to the riches of his grace . "f Un doetrines contained in this as well
as similar passages of the New Testame nt , he dwelt with satisfaction and Jdight . Contrary views are to be ^ und only in creeds and confessions tffcuth , which with him were in no l unation . Embodying human error f Ephe ^ i . 8 , 7 .
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and consecrating human infirmity , he justly deemed them encumbrancer to the progress , of truth . And yet , strange to tell , for attaching themselves to the above Scriptural views of th ^ character of the Supreme Being , Dr * Ryland \ n his Life of Fuller , declares
a certain class of General ^ Baptists * ( to whom I and my deceased friend have the honour to belong ) , " to have gone from general redemption to no redemption // " Such are the gross and abominable misrepresentations in which party writers indulge at the expense of truth and to the utter destruction of Christian charity J
It should be added that our venerable brother , whilst he maintained the prime leading doctrines of revelation , did not relinquish the ordinance of Christian Baptism by immersion , but
administered it to its only proper objects , those who make a profession of their faith . Having preached for him more than once on those occasions , I have witnessed his administration of
it in this place with pleasure . He conducted it with a solemnity which , became its importance , making candid allowance for those otherwise minded , and pointing out its happy tendency in promoting the purity of the professors of Christianity .
As the treatment received b y this good man from his particular Joaptist brethren , on account of difference of sentiment , has been mentioned , it is but justice to add that he was similarly treated by a minister of that class who style themselves Free Grace General Raptists ! This Reverend
brother from whom better things were to be expected , endeavoured to prevent Mr . Vidlcr from becoming a member of the respectable general body of Dissenting ministers of the Three Denominations meeting at Red-cross Street . It is with no small pleasure that I now recollect the successful
exertions made by me in his behalf on that occasion . * An end was soon put to this unwarrantable and odious ebullition of bigotry . Thus like his great Master , thrnJigh good report and through evil report , did my friend pursue the even tenor of
X In the Second Edition oi my Isettct ; to JJ ? . Hawkery will t > e found a discussion of , the doctrinp of iJKNERAi * jiddemt-Tipx . ;
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Obituary *— -Rev . JVilliam Vidler . $ 53
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 2, 1816, page 553, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2456/page/53/
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